COM 205Multimedia Applications

St. Joseph’s College

Fall 2004

Chapter 11

Multimedia Authoring Tools

Authoring Tools

• Provide the environment for integrating the content and functions of your project

• Include – ability to create,edit and import data– assemble data into a playback sequence– provide method or language for

responding to user input

Types of Authoring Tools

• Based on metaphor for sequencing or organizing multimedia elements:– Card or page based tools– Icon based, event driven tools– Time based and presentation tools

Types of Authoring Tools

•Page- or card-based tools

Types of Authoring Tools

•Page- or card-based tools

•Icon-based tools

Types of Authoring Tools

•Page- or card-based tools•Icon-based tools

•Time-based tools

Types of Authoring ToolsMacromedia Director is a popular time-based tool.

Card or Page Based Tools

• Authoring system lets you link pages or cards into organized sequences

• Elements are organized as pages of a book or a stack of cards

• User can jump to any page• Can play sound elements or launch

animation or video• (Example Toolbook, Hypercard)

Icon based, Event Driven Tools

• Multimedia elements and interaction cues( events) are organized as objects in a framework

• Authoring tools display flow diagrams of activities along paths

• (Example Authorware)

Time based Tools

• Elements are organized along a timeline

• Best for sequences with beginning and end

• Multimedia elements are treated as object, which receive messages to do things at certain times

• ( Example Director)

Right Tool for the Job• Choose the tool that best fits the job:– Video productions– Animations– Games– Interactive web sites– Demo disks and guided tours– Kiosk applications– Interactive training– Simulations, prototypes,visualizations

Evaluating Tools

• Editing Features

• Organizing Features

• Programming FeaturesVisual programming

Scripting

Advanced programming languages

Document development tools

Evaluating Tools

• Editing Features

• Organizing Features

• Programming Features• Interactivity Features

Evaluating Tools

• Editing Features

• Organizing Features

• Programming Features• Interactivity Features• Performance Tuning Features

• Playback Features

Evaluating Tools

• Delivery Features

• Cross-Platform SupportFonts

Colors

• Internet Playability

Editing Features

• Elements of multimedia (images, text, sound, video) need to be created

• Editing tools may be required for one or more of these

• Authoring tools may provide the editors or you may need a specialized editor

Organizing Features

• The Organizational and Design Process involves storyboarding and flowcharting

• Some authoring tools, such as Authorware, provide a visual flowcharting system

Programming Features

• Visual Programming with icons– Drag the sound or picture icon into the

playlist– Drag it away to delete it – Simplest and easiest to use– Best for slide shows and presentations– (Authorware)

Programming Features

• Programming with a Scripting Language– Provides a very high level language

(VHLL) for navigation and control– Able to handle user input– (Director and the Lingo language)

Programming Features

• Programming with traditional Languages for complex projects– Look for good debugging facilities,

robust text editing, online syntax references, etc.

– You may need access to the OS– You may also need to use the DLL

(Dynamic Link Libraries) in Windows

Programming Features

• Document development tools– Used to import pre-formatted text,

indexing facilities,complex search mechanisms, and hypertext linking.

–With scripts you can perform computational tasks, sense and respond to user input, create character, icon and motion animations., and control external devices...

Interactivity Features• Allow the user to control the content and

flow of information

• Authoring tools provide: ( 1 or more)– Simple branching ( to go to another section

on key press, mouse click, timer)– Conditional branching- moves on basis of IF-

THEN decisions or events– Structured language which supports

complex programming logic, subroutines, message passing, etc.

Performance Tuning Features

• Synchronization (particularly of animation and sound effects)

• Precise timing of events and the ability to adapt to slower or faster computer systems

Playback Features

• Authoring systems should allow you to build your project in segments and test it as though you were a user using it

• You should be able to easily move between building and testing the project

Delivery Features

• Your authoring software should allow you to create a run-time version of the project.

• The run-time version allows users to play it without having the full software, but does not permit them to change the content or structure of the project.

Cross Platform Features

• Decide whether your target audience will be using Windows or Mac

• Look for authoring tools which provide either a compatible system for the other platform (PC or MAC)

or a runtime version for that system

Internet Playability

• Most authoring systems provide a means to convert output so that it can be delivered within HTML or DHTML – by using plug-ins or – by embedding Java, or JavaScript in the

HTML document.

Card and Page Based Tools• Images are organized like chapters and

pages of a book

• Navigation routines direct user to go to a page that contains the appropriate images, text, sounds, and animations

• Characteristics of media objects(text fields, buttons, graphics, etc.) are defined by properties (highlighted, bold)

• Object may contain a programming script

Card and Page Based Tools

• Objects may contain a programming script, that is activated by an event.

• Events cause messages to pass from one object to another in your project

• Authoring systems also link objects to pages or cards

Icon Based Tools

• First you build a structure or flowchart of events by dragging icons from a library–menu choices, graphic images, sounds

and computations

• Then you add your content

• You can edit to rearrange the icons or their properties

Icon Based Tools

• Non-technical multimedia authors can build sophisticated applications without scripting, by placing icons on a flowline

• Authorware has a complete set of tools for editing multimedia elements

Time Based Tools

• Uses visual Timeline for sequencing events ( Director)

• Cast - multimedia database containing still images, sounds, text, Quick Draw shapes,programming scripts, QuickTime and Flash movies

• Score is a sequencer for displaying, animating and playing the Cast members.

Time Based Tools

• Animations are made by placing a graphic or sprite on the stage and changing its location over several frames

• Lingo is a full featured object oriented language to enable interactivity and program control